1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a loom drive system comprising a main drive shaft supported in a loom frame and driven by a drive motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A loom drive system is known from the European patent document A 0,726,345 comprising a main'drive shaft supported in the loom frame and driven through transmission elements, for instance a belt system, by a drive motor. The main drive shaft is fitted with a switching gear wheel which, in a first position, engages both a gear to drive at least one batten and a gear to at least drive shed forming means and which, in such second position, engages only one of the said two gears. The switching gearwheel and the main drive shaft are non-rotatably connected to each other by spline connections, so that the switching gear wheel can be axially shifted relative to the main drive shaft while being connected without play in the circumferential direction to the main drive shaft This play-free circumferential connection is required to enable varying the transmitted drive torque between positive and negative values. A clutch and/or a switched brake may be inserted in the connection between the drive motor and the main drive shaft. For gripper looms, the first gear moreover may power a gripper drive. During normal, fast weaving and during slow operation the switching gear wheel engages both gears, whereas during the so-called filling-search, the switching gear wheel is disengaged from the first gear and is only engaged with the second gear. During slow operation and during a filling search, the main drive motor is operated at a lesser speed than during normal weaving. Alternatively, in such a case a slow motor may provide the drive power.